Tulare County Biographies

ARTHUR DELERAY

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
        Arthur Deleray, a mining engineer of wide experience and the manager of 
the plant and operations of the Sierra Magnesite Company of Chicago in 
Porterville, is a native son of California and has been connected with mining 
operations since the days of his boyhood, these operations having been carried 
on not only extensively in this state, but in Alaska and Nevada. An expert in 
magnesite production, he has been connected with operations along that line in 
the Porterville section for years and is widely known in mining circles. He was 
born in Lassen county, this state, July 20, 1881, and is a son of Bert and Lucy 
(Poe) Deleray, the latter of whom was born in the state of Wisconsin and both of 
whom are still living, now residing in Santa Cruz. Bert Deleray also is a native 
son of California, born in Calaveras county, and is a son of Louis Deleray, who 
was one of the pioneers in the mining activities in that county. The Delerays 
are of French stock.
        By reason of several changes of residence made by his father during the 
days of his youth Arthur Deleray's early education was acquired in schools in 
various towns and cities of California and he grew up familiar with mining 
operations. When nineteen years of age (in 1900) he made his first trip into the 
mining country in Alaska and his summers thereafter until 1911 were spent in 
that country, his winters being spent in the mines in California. Meanwhile, he 
was carrying on his studies in the lines of technical training, with particular 
reference to mining engineering, and in 1907 received from the A. Vandernillen 
School of Mines of Oakland his degree as a Graduate Engineer. In 1911 Mr. 
Deleray was given engineering charge of a gold mining proposition in Nevada and 
was thus engaged until 1914, when he returned to California to take the 
oversight of a mine at Bodie, in Mono county. In the next year (1915) he became 
connected with the operations of the Lindsay Mining Company in the magnesite 
mines in the Porterville district, being thus employed until that company sold 
out in 1917. He associated himself with R. D. Adams, working out of San 
Francisco and at the same time managing the White Rock mining property, until 
1920, when the Sierra Magnesite Company of Chicago was organized and in October 
of that year took over the magnesite properties in Porterville, and he was made 
manager of the plant and operations of the company at that place, where he ever 
since has been located. This company mines the magnesite (native magnesium 
carbonate) in the mountains adjacent to Porterville and has its reduction plant 
in the city, its products being shipped from there to all parts of the country, 
and it thus is one of the important industries of this section of the state.
        On October 23, 1905, in San Jose, Mr. Deleray was united in marriage to 
Miss Merry Early, who was born in Calaveras county, this state, December 25, 
1887, daughter of John Early. Mr. and Mrs. Deleray have three children, all sons 
: Dudley, Wilfred and Kenneth Deleray. Mr. and Mrs. Deleray are republicans and 
take a proper interest in the general civic affairs of the community as well as 
in its social and cultural activities. Mr. Deleray is an active member of the 
locally influential Porterville Rotary Club and is also affiliated with the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
 
Source:  History of Tulare County and Kings County, California � Kathleen 
Edwards Small & J. Larry Smith, Vol. II, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1926., p. 324